That's capacity at Viejas Arena for a San Diego State men's basketball game. That's a full house for the venue boasting what may be the rowdiest college hoops fan base in the Pacific Time Zone.

Fisher, now in his 15th season as the Aztecs' men's basketball coach, regularly cites that figure when on the subject of recruiting -- emphasizing the allure that such an atmosphere can have on potential signees.

But when it comes to spectators, there's another number that is similarly enticing: zero.

Tuesday, SDSU officially announced its plans to build a state-of-the-art practice center for the men's and women's basketball teams. The facility, projected to be ready-to-use by 2015, would finally give the programs a place to call their own.

No more sharing with the students at the Aztec Recreation Center when Viejas or Peterson Gym is in use. For those precious practice sessions -- whether individually or as a team -- SDSU basketball players will now have an audience of none.

"It's always nice to know you have a gym and that when you look in there, there's nothing in the way," said redshirt freshman forward Matt Shrigley. "It's always a perk."

I know what you're thinking: Why all this fuss about a practice facility? It's a building -- not next year's No. 1 overall pick.

Related

San Diego State men's basketball is on the brink of a breakthrough here. Its 2014 recruiting class is currently ranked ninth in the nation according to ESPN, and this new facility is a significant ladder-rung in its climb to the top.

Dozens of other Division I programs have a similar facility, including Mountain West rivals New Mexico and UNLV. Recruits may have had plenty of reasons to sign letters of intent with SDSU before, but now they one less reason not to.

For Fisher, who's been pushing for such a venue since the turn of the millennium, its imminent construction represents a culmination of his efforts. He took over a program that went 4-22 in the 1998-99 season and built it into a regular NCAA Tournament participant that rose to No. 4 in the nation in 2011.

To see a privately-funded $14.5 million facility coming SDSU's way based largely on the program's success is a testament to how the Aztecs have come.

But the fun part is imagining where it may help take them next.

"It will be a crown jewel for San Diego State...I can't wait to put a spade into the ground, and get it up to where it's functional. It will be spectacular" said Fisher, crediting University President Elliot Hirshman and Athletic Director Jim Sterk for their roles in championing the cause. "We have attempted to recruit the very best possible student athlete we can get. We get guys who want to grow their game as basketball players, and then they want to have an opportunity to, when nobody's watching, work on it. This will provide that."